Monday, December 21, 2009

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Someone is waiting very patiently for a certain fat man, dressed in a red suit, with a white beard, to arrive.

This season brings joy, peace, getting together with family and friends, and lots of extra doggie treats. Chocolates and goodies for the people and all kinds of special treats for the four legged family.

Justice (pictured above) wants to wish you all a Merry Christmas and wishes for much health, happiness and prosperity in the coming year.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

In May 2006, Malcolm Gladwell wrote an interesting article called "What the Dog Saw" about Ceasar Milan.

His new book What the Dog Saw is now available. I can't wait to read it! I am a Gladwell fan for sure. I have read all of his books and many of his articles. To read the press release for his new book click here.

The first time I heard his name was when I discovered the article Troublemakers which I LOVED. Of course anyone who truly understands the correlation between "pitbulls" and profiling or discrimination is my kinda guy!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

There is a donation drive happening for the animals at Toronto Humane Society. The animals left behind in this whole mess are in need of supplies. Please consider giving anything you can spare to the helpless animals.

Between the hours of 7am and 7pm on Saturday December 12th and Sunday December 13th please drop off donations at the Toronto Humane Society. The address is 11 River Street, which is at the corner of Queen Street East and River St.

Here is a list of supplies that the animals in the shelter desperately need.

For the Dogs

Used and new blankets. Please avoid down filled comforters as some of the dogs like to destroy their blankets. Feathers make a huge mess.

Dog beds of all sizes.

Good quality leashes and collars of all sizes. Please make sure they are strong.

We wouldn’t want any dogs to break away from their collars while on a walk.

Plastic basket muzzles of all sizes. Pit Bulls need to wear them on their walks.

Plastic bags for the dog walkers.

Strong dog toys of various sizes. Kongs, and squeaky toys for the cages, frisbees and large rubber balls for the dog parks.

Grooming supplies. Hair clippers, nail clippers, brushes, shampoo,

For the Cats

Plastic cat toys. Plastic ones are better than fabric ones as the plastic ones can be disinfected properly. The cats and kittens have been living in small cages with almost no stimulation. Some of these cats have been at the shelter for years and would appreciate a toy.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Last Christmas a good friend gave me a wonderful gift. The gift was a subscription to Whole Dog Journal.

I so look forward to my copy in the mail each month. WDJ is a great little publication that includes excellent education on healthy choices for our dogs. There are great articles on canine conditions and disease, food and nutrition, training and canine well being.

This year I plan on passing along the favor and giving WDJ subscription as a gift to several of my friends.

I highly recommend treating yourself or someone you know who loves their dog/s as much as we do.

So far this year you have taken away my favorite dancer Michael Jackson, my favorite actor Patrick Swayze and my favorite singer Stephen Gately and my favorite actress Farah Fawcett. Just so you know, my favorite politician is Dalton McGuinty.

Regards,

Ontario Dog Owner

(Too funny not to share)

h/t Fran!

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Bandit, a cross bred dog Tim Trow fought for in 2003 and early 2004, is now in the custody of the OSPCA.

The dog bit his former owners grandson, to the tune of 200 stitches and was turned over to Toronto Humane Society where he has remained since. The city pound refused to take Bandit so police took him to THS. A battle erupted between Toronto Animal Services and Toronto Humane Society. Tim Trow was fighting for Bandit's life and TAS were trying to end it. Apparently TAS claims there was a mis-communication between police and TAS, otherwise they would have taken custody of the dog initially.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Police have arrested the Toronto Humane Society's president, chief veterinarian and three other senior staff members and charged them with animal cruelty, six months after a Globe and Mail investigation revealed widespread troubles at the shelter.

As you all know, there has been on-going discussion among provincial Veterinary Associations surrounding the procedures of cropping ears and docking tails. In New Brunswick, a ban on these procedures was effected by the NBVMA and has come into effect this year. In Newfoundland, cropping ears has been legislated out of existence ten years ago. PEI and Nova Scotia as well as Saskatchewan have considered provincial bans and I was advised at a meeting with CVMA on Sunday that PEI did put into effect a ban on cropping and docking at their November meeting.

In October, I was alerted that the discussion of cropping and docking would be on the annual meeting agenda of the NSVMA. Immediately, I contacted the President to request the opportunity to speak to the assembly and to present the CKC position. That request was refused by the NSVMA executive stating that this is a closed meeting and that presentations are not accepted. I did write a letter to the NSVMA and requested that it be read at the AGM, outlining the CKC position, the work we are doing with breed clubs and the progress being made by CKC on many initiatives aimed at making Canada one of the most progressive countries in the world in which to own a dog. Again, unfortunately this letter was not read. As in New Brunswick, there were spirited discussions at the AGM. No decision was taken immediately and the Executive Council determined that further dialogue needed to take place with more of the membership - most of whom were not in attendance (the AGM is held on a Saturday afternoon in Halifax so attendance is not a possibility for many veterinarians in the province). After the meeting, understanding that the CKC position had not been put forward, I sent a letter to every Veterinarian in the province of Nova Scotia outlining the points made in the letter sent to NSVMA and asking for their consideration of our position in responding to the Executive Council's request for their input. I have also met with as many practices as possible to personally put forward our position and to hear the views of the vets.

On Sunday, I flew to Ottawa and with the CEO of the CKC presented the CKC

position to the CVMA. In attendance were the CVMA representatives from NS, PEI, NB, Quebec, Ontario and the President from Saskatchewan as well as CVMA staff members. To say we were met with less than a welcoming audience is to understate the day. It was a challenging couple of hours, with no movement on the part of the vets who advised that anything we do short of a full rewrite of our standards to immediately take away cropping and docking is

too little too late. There was some softening of that position from Ontario, a comment that this is not yet on the radar in Quebec as yet and input that Nova Scotia is considering legislating these procedures out of existence.

We all have work to do. These vets are not only speaking of cropping and docking. Several, led by New Brunswick, are openly critical of the CKC's breed standards, feel that breeders are poorly educated with respect to health, genetics and breeding practices to support an animal's welfare and are censorious of breeders - in particular those breeders who breed conformation dogs for show. They are criticizing our standards for individual breeds and are of the opinion that we are not supporting the puppy purchasers with healthy dogs.

I would urge each one of you to have a conversation with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Ask his/her views on purebred dogs and dog breeding, on your own breeding practices from his/her perspective and develop an understanding of where your veterinarian is positioned with respect to your hobby of dog breeding. It is important to all of us that we understand where our vets are positioned with respect to our breeding of dogs, of our particular breeds and our future in dogs.

Many of you know me personally and know that I am not an alarmist nor am I a

believer in escalating an issue. At this time, I am deeply concerned for our relationship with the veterinary community. There are changes that we will need to make and we at the Board table are aware of that. Nothing stays constant in any part of our lives. We will over the next year be offering opportunities for breeder education and accreditation through a program that we have been working on at the Board table for a decade. We will be offering a medical registry and have already provided to you an outreach program that you and your kennel club are able to present in your community. We will support responsible dog ownership week and will continue to work at forming partnerships with those organizations with similar views, values and positions. But it is now important that you as a breeder, owner or pet enthusiast move forward as well, taking advantage of these tools we are providing and developing a better sense of those that we are working with - the dog owning public, puppy purchasers and our vets.

I look forward to hearing from many of you letting me know how these conversations go, which vets are supportive of you as a breeder and where you think we might go form here.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Here in Canada and America, dogs are victims in a different sort of war, that of statism versus individual liberty. Under various acts and bylaws, our local and provincial authorities have the power to confiscate, ban, “put down” or mutilate dogs arbitrarily, often without regard to individual behaviour. Entire breeds like the Staffordshire terrier have been banned or forcibly castrated according to local bylaws as if they were some lethal virus. Let some authority decide a dog looks “like a pit bull,” and off they go in the name of public safety under draconian legislation such as Bill 132—produced by Ontario’s former attorney general, Michael Bryant, that sterling symbol of public safety himself. The dreaded animal control officer can turn up unannounced on a doorstep after a neighbour’s complaint about barking (which becomes “menacing behaviour” and subject to penalties including confiscation of the dog), or a patrol officer’s view that a Labrador is really a pit bull.

Dogs have become a tool in controlling our lifestyle. Every dog large or small (except the basenjii) barks. Every dog can potentially nip or bite. Future restrictions on all breeds will inevitably evolve. Statism metastasizes. So please God, help man’s best friend. Man and governments won’t.

This week, NDP MPP for Highpark/Parkdale, Cheri DiNovo introduced a private members Bill 222 to the Ontario Legislature to repeal the breed ban.

First of all, I would like to thank Cheri Dinovo for introducing this Bill.

Since August 29, 2005 those of us living in this deteriorating province have experienced life changing years of our lives. We have been through 2 rounds of court, and turned down by the Supreme Court of Canada to hear our case. We have raised over $750,000.00 by fundraising (selling t shirts in the streets) to pay for our lawyer's fees. We have been placed in a predicament of legislated discrimination where any disgruntled neighbor has the opportunity to have your dog seized and killed because of the dog's shape or look. We are fighting an almighty beast (the Ontario government) with the power to impose any ban, law or guideline they feel is in the "best interest" of the people of Ontario. That same beast has unlimited access to taxpayer dollars; therefore court challenges only threaten credibility not personal pocketbook or sleep.

I cannot begin to describe to you the effect this ban has had on my life.

I am not the same person. I have lost 2 very loved dogs (old age). Losing them was extra hard knowing their place in the family couldn't be filled by others like them. I have spent 5 years giving every extra dollar I had to "our legal fund" and volunteered my time to do over 200 events in effort to raise enough money to keep us in court. I have witnessed more unthinkable situations than any person cares to. That in itself has hardened me as a human. I had to harden or I would have been left either shutting down or laying in a heap of emotion. I have witnessed people having their dogs ripped out of their homes because they dared own a short haired mutt.

A couple examples, a young single mom lost both her dogs, one a puppy, because someone in her apartment building called animal control to say she owned "pitbulls".

Another, her dog escaped out the front door Christmas day when guests were arriving. AC picked up her short haired mutt and took him to the pound. He was under a year old and just a goofy pup, but someone at AC deemed him a "pitbull" so the next year was spent in court only to loose her dog in the end.

Another was a young couple out for a walk with their two leashed boxer cross pups when AC pulled up and ordered them to relinquish custody of their pups since they were "pitbulls" and illegal in Ontario. In the end AC backed off since the young couple hired a lawyer. The young couple were left with a lawyer's fee and a fear of walking their dogs in public.

I have a friend who came home from work and let her 2 dogs out into her own fenced backyard. She did not check the backyard before opening her back door (but who does?) but without her knowledge, the neighbors cat had jumped the fence into her yard. Her dogs killed the cat in her own backyard. The neighbor witnessed this happening and immediately called AC. Since there are no provisions in the law to stipulate your own property is not included, her purebred banned dogs killed a domestic animal therefore were slotted for seizure and death. She quit her job, sold her house and now resides elsewhere in Canada with her two dogs. Somewhere where she doesn't have to worry her dogs will be targeted based on how they look.

I could go on and on and on. I have gone to court to support many of these Ontario dog owners. I have given them moral and emotional support. Helped them seek lawyers and understand their so called rights. (Or lack thereof).

I have lost five years of my life and there is no end in sight. I see ordinary situations as potentially deadly (literally) for my dog. The stress of protecting my obedience trained, CGN (Canine Good Neighbor CKC certification) certified, Rally Obedience competitor dog is as absurd as it gets. Your motto as a dog owner becomes trust no-one, never walk your dog in public and keep your neighbors in check. Divulge no information and keep your lawyer's number handy at all times. Know who works animal control in your area, and how actively they enforce the ban. Everything you once knew as a responsible dog owner is now the opposite.

I watched an interview recently, with Dalton McGuinty. It was posted on You Tube from Animal House Radio.

First off, before you get into watching this interview with McGuinty, here are some quick facts.

1. It is impossible to "breed" any dog for aggression. This is science, not opinion. Aggression is a learned behaviour not a genetic inherited trait.

2. A "pitbull" is NOT a breed. It is a slang term for a cross bred dog. The 3 purebred breeds banned are all very rare breeds with roughly 1000 dogs in the whole province all three breeds combined! It is highly UNLIKELY there is any genetic code from ANY of the purebred breeds named in the ban flowing in the DNA of the short haired mutts targeted by this law. Popular breeds are what is found in popular mutt mixes such as Labrador Retrievers, Boxers, German Shepherd Dogs, Golden Retrievers etc.

3. There were 4 days of committee hearings held prior to the law being passed. 80% of the presentations were AGAINST THE BAN. There were no canine experts presenting who were pro ban. There were 45 experts and a long list of individuals presenting AGAINST THE BAN; but McGuinty still maintains they listened to the experts!

4. Public safety has not been improved. The government did not put in place a bite registry, as was requested. There have been deaths attributed to dog bites since the inception of the ban but none were dogs falling under the ban. How were these victims protected by McGuinty's "public safety"? Or the scores of people bitten by dogs not falling under the vague description laid out in DOLA? Dalton McGuinty, Michael Bryant, Chris Bentley and Bob Delaney have all been quoted as saying the aim was to protect the public from "pitbull" bites not dog bites! Remember there is no such thing as a "pitbull". In court counsel for the Attorney General's office, Robert Charney was quoted saying "OK, there is no such thing as a 'pitbull'!"

5. McGuinty refuses to admit they were wrong. There would be respect for those who admit they were wrong even if they possibly had public safety at heart in the beginning.

DiNovo said she was inspired to take action since she participated in a DLCC event this past summer. She is the owner of British Bull Terrier. At issue, said DiNovo, is the fact that the pit bull is a mish-mash of breeds. It is described as an animal with a broad snout, muscular, short chest and short coat and long tail. This definition is similar to 40 per cent of all dogs.
"If you took away the tail, you'd be describing most of the politicians at Queen's Park," quipped DiNovo.
The law should cover the "deed not the breed," she said.
"It's a badly drafted piece of legislation," said DiNovo.

Addressing the media Wednesday at Queen's Park, the premier said he wasn't open to lifting the ban. Asked whether or not he thought Ontarians are crying out for a repeal, he replied, "not to my knowledge." "It's about public safety. We got the best advice we could and put in place legislation we think upholds public safety," said McGuinty. Nevertheless, DiNovo remains positive that the ban will be overturned.

"There's always a good chance," she said citing the NDP's success in raising the minimum wage to $10 as an example. "The government will bow to pressure."
Besides, an election year is fast approaching in 2011.
Despite the fact that statistics show that in the four years since the ban has been in effect fatal dog attacks have been on the rise in Ontario, but incidences are extremely rare, DiNovo pointed out. And, none of the reported cases of attacks have involved pit bulls. DiNovo said she would like Ontario to follow in the footsteps of jurisdictions like the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden where breed specific legislation has been revoked - for the simple reason that it has not alleviated the problem of dog attacks.
"All breed specific bans do is harm owners and dogs," she said. "It's kind of a grudge law. Yes, we should have violent dog legislation, but we should go after the dog, no breed specific stuff."

---------------------------------------------------------

I guess if McGuinty actually read letters and email sent to him, he would know the extent of the outcry to repeal the ban. We have held countless vigils and protests on the front lawn of Queen's Park. I have written scores of letters and email myself never to hear a reply back from the premier. Once I received a form letter that rambled on about his broken record of consultation with experts and public safety. I used it as kindling...

McGunity is leaving behind a legacy of the worst government in the history of Ontario. He has solidified the stereotype of political corruption and disregard for ordinary citizen of this province. He has thrown entire groups of people under the bus, ruined lives and murdered over 5000 good innocent dogs for nothing other than how they look and he damn well knows it. His nannying has scarred this province and it will take decades or more to clean up the mess and heal from the damage he has done.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

A single mother licensing her mongrel dog during a door-to-door campaign has her pet identified as a 'pit bull' on the spot. The dog is slated for destruction.

*

A show dog of a restricted breed escapes the yard for a few minutes. Animal Control arrives demanding evidence that the dog has been entered in a sanctioned show during the past year. Otherwise, the dog will be killed for being intact.

*

A woman is walking her restricted dog in compliance with the law. Someone shouts from a car that "all 'pit bulls' and their owners should be shot" then throws a bottle at her. It misses - this time.

*

A dog is being walked with a muzzle as the law mandates. An off-lead dog attacks her, tearing the muzzle off. She doesn't fight back. Animal Control arrives and seizes the victimized dog for being unmuzzled in a public place. The dog languishes in isolation at the pound for months awaiting 'trial'.

*

If these stories - all of them true - and many others like them upset you, blame the McGuinty Liberals. Anti-dog sentiment in Ontario is a direct result of their irresponsible campaign against both mongrel and purebred dogs.

Key portions of the law were struck down as unconstitutionalat the Ontario Superior Court level. In the appeal, we lost the ground we gained in a decision to uphold and restore the law to its original meaning. The Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear our appeal.

Bill 222 a Private Members Bill was introduced November 18, 2009 by NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo, Highpark/Parkdale MPP. The Bill was met with applause from quite a few Liberal MPP's. McGuinty was not present in the house that day. The Bill passed first reading! The second reading is not slotted until fall 2010.

Write your MPP's and engage them on this issue. Let them know how you feel. Let them know the impact this has had on your life. Educate them.

The next provincial election in Ontario is October 2011. We must get rid of the Liberal's. Begin conversation with your MPP now. Educate yourself who is running in your riding and find out which candidate had the best chance to win against the Liberal. Offer to help with the campaign.

Dog bites have increased in Ontario since the 'breed' ban was enacted. There have been 3 fatalities since the enactment of the ban. None of the dogs were so called "pitbulls".

Licensing is still at 10% compliance. Leashing is not enforced. We have no provincial bite database. Animal services divisions remain understaffed and under-equipped.

Every informed dog owner in this province knew the ban wouldn't work because it hasn't worked anywhere else!

Bans have been repealed in many jurisdictions worldwide based on the ineffectiveness. Holland and Italy to name two.

EVERY DOG OWNER IS AT RISK!

We MUST ENSURE THAT THE NEXT GOVERNMENT formed in Ontario is willing to work with the experts to produce legislation that has been proven effective. THAT GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BE THE McGUINTY LIBERALS.

We NEED EVERYONE to contact their local riding association to volunteer some time on the next campaign. TELL ALL your friends and family they must vote and spell out for them why the Liberals must be rejected.

Get involved or you cannot count on your right to own your breed of choice. Visit these sites to

learn how you can help to Reject the McGuinty Liberals.

Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario:

http://www.ontariopc.com/

New Democratic Party of Ontario

http://ontariondp.com/

Green Party of Ontario

http://www.greenparty.on.ca/

Everyone must VOTE! First time voters must register to vote! Voter turnout is urgent. Cross party lines if you must! Think carefully about “watered down vote”. Think about split votes and how they can allow the Liberals to slide up the middle.

The SITUATION IS URGENT! ALL DOG OWNERS ARE UNDER ATTACK with warrantless entry, unreasonable search and seizure, reverse onus and more already in place for ALL breeds, not just so-called 'pit bulls'. It's not about 'pit bulls' - it never was.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Here is a perfect example of the absolute bullshit going on here in Ontario!

In Kitchener, Ontario this week, Shon Carroll, a humane society officer was "told" to investigate the background (lineage?) of a dog that was brought in stray.

** Kitchener has had a breed specific ban in place since Febuary 1997, put in place prior to the province enacting a province wide ban in 2005.

Jack Simpson as he put it, inherited a mutt 18 months ago from a neighbor. Simpson's dog got loose and went to explore the neighborhood, but was picked up by the humane society in Kitchener. When Simpson called looking for his dog he described him as a "lab/pit cross". The word "pit" activated the antennae of the HS to "investigate" the lineage of the dog.

This proves my point that most people who work with dogs in shelters, pounds and the like have no clue about dog genetics or breeds. They clearly have bought into the BS that "pitbulls" actually do exist and they must be identified and killed. Some shelters and pounds do not identify cross bred dogs and declare short haired mutts as breeds people "view" as "friendly" and find them homes but others such as Kitchener choose to kill dogs based on LOOKS NOT BEHAVIOR!

With each passing day this mass dog murder in Ontario gets more and more insane! Thanks Dalton McGuinty you useless piece of dog shit.

Mr. Simpson took the matter of what is now saving his dog's life to a humane society committee hearing where they would decide if the dog fit their criteria to be able to live or be designated as having some weird characteristics in how he looked that would declare a date with Dr. Death!

I have to include a lengthy excerpt because it is just too bizarre not to share.Here is a link to the rest of the story where you may also see a picture of Jack Simpson and his dog Charlie.

Carroll met with Simpson and his dog on Sept. 2 to take pictures and measurements.
“My biggest thing is the width of the head, the wideness of the forehead,” Carroll said at the committee hearing.
The hind quarters were visibly lower and smaller than the front shoulders. The dog also had a big chest. But Charlie’s head was most concerning for humane society officer tasked with enforcing the Pit Bull ban.
Charlie’s muzzle has a box shape too, Carroll said.
Carroll told the committee the lab traits in Charlie are stronger than the Pit Bull traits. Carroll also said Charlie appeared to be friendly.
But mainly because of the size of the dog’s head Carroll designated Charlie a Pit Bull-like animal that was banned and would have to be destroyed.
“Because I left a message with the humane society that he is a lab-pit cross, the fact that I said ‘pit’ was enough to raise red flags,” Simpson said to the committee.
“Had I known then what I know now, I would never have mentioned the word ‘pit,’ I would have said a ‘lab cross’ and that would have been the end of it,” Simpson said.
He told the committee the dog never bothered anybody. Simpson said he brings the dog to the old age home where his mother lives and his sister’s daycare. He submitted letters from both women as evidence.
“My mother’s in an old age home. I take Charlie there, everybody loves Charlie,” Simpson said.
“I take him to my sister’s, she has a daycare centre, all the kids play with Charlie, and they all love him. There isn’t a soul in the city who doesn’t like Charlie and yet they were willing to put him to sleep because of the size of his head, which doesn’t seem fair,” Simpson said.
The committee members — Coun. Geoff Lorentz, Coun. John Smola and Anne Lawrence of the K-W Kennel Club — listened to the evidence.
Simpson said a lot of people are not aware dogs that are half Pit Bull can be designated and destroyed.
“It’s not an exact science I can tell you that,” Lorentz said.
Lawrence, the committee chair, wanted to know why Simpson described Charlie as a “lab-pit.”
“It’s just an easy way to explain what kind of dog he is rather than rattling off a whole bunch of different breeds I see in him,” Simpson said.
“OK so this wasn’t because you were told this by a vet?” Lawrence said.
“No, this is something I came up with as a short way of telling people what I think he is,” Lawrence said.
The committee members deliberated behind closed doors for a few minutes.
“Based on the evidence the committee is rescinding the designation which means you are free to license your dog, no restrictions. Thanks you every one,” Lawrence said.
No further explanations were given.
Simpson was visibly relieved as he walked out of the council chambers where the hearing was held.
“I am pleased, very pleased,” Simpson said.
The whole process has left Simpson shaking his head.
“Because they didn’t like the size of his head they wanted to kill him,” Simpson said.
“They gave me two options. Go get a DNA test done on him and find out what his lineage is, which is several thousand dollars, or leave the province,” Simpson.

Where do some shelter workers and animal control officers come up with this BS?

Someone please direct me to the information that leads these wanks to believe they can justifiably kill dogs because:

- Their head is too big

- Their forehead is too wide

-Their hindquarters are lower and smaller than their front end

-Their chest is too big

-And for God's Sake DO NOT HAVE A BOX SHAPED MUZZLE!

It appears that a flippant decision was made that Charlie seemed to also have a friendly demeanor, seeing as though he visits the OLD AGE HOME AND DAYCARE TO VISIT on a regular basis!

The moral of this story is; if you live in this Dogforsaken province of Ontariostan, erase the word "pit" from your vocabulary. Don't even use it to describe what exists in the center of most fruit for fear of having your dog killed because his head it too big!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Denver newspapers are a-buzz with questions about whether thousands of family pets have been slaughtered simply because of the mis-identification process.Well, duh? Check out this quote from The Denver Daily News.This snippet is Doug Kelley (director of animal control in Denver) defending the “system”.

System
defended

Doug Kelley, director of animal control, defended the system yesterday, arguing that the appeals process is proof that it works.

“The administrative hearing process is there, it’s designed to allow owners to appeal,” he said. “That process worked in this case — the dog, upon further information, was found not to be a pit bull. So, that’s why the process is there.”

Kelley also defended the training animal control officers receive in order to label a dog.

The training is actually a voluntary program that animal control officers must opt into. The checklist to determine if a dog is a pit bull is almost entirely physical characteristics, such as lips, eye color and shoulders. If a dog matches the majority of criteria for a pit bull, then the dog is a pit bull in the eyes of city officials.

Critics of the system, however, point out that there are dozens of traits that can be applied to several breeds. In many cases, the evaluators are unable to agree on several of the criteria.

So what if you don't have a couple thousand to blow on legal fees? Your dog is killed!Training for breed identification? No such thing! You can't identify something that is fictitious. “Pitbull” is a slang term for a non-purebred dog or cross bred dog. Checklist… see previous post! Opinion based descriptions. Try this…Identify the following pictures on Denver's “pitbull” checklist. Just open the attachment on the previous post and keep it open so you can do your own checklist of each of the animals below. See if you come up with a similar result for the following animals.Animal number 1.

Animal number 2.

Animal number 3.

Ok, freak me out! I calculated more common criteria with animal number 3 when going through the checklist with each animal! Here are a couple other links to other articles on this topic.The Denver ChannelDenver Post

Monday, October 12, 2009

Have you wondered how Denver identifies a dog as a “pitbull”? I always find it a curious process how it is that one identifies something that is a slang term or label as opposed to a concrete provable subject.As I have said over and over, the term “pitbull” is a slang term for a type or “look” of dog. It is not a purebred and it is certainly not a breed. There are well over 25 purebred breeds that resemble what is sometimes referred to as a “pitbull”. Basically it depends on who is doing the judging.In the case of Dexter, in my previous post, Denver Animal Control (AC) has a “team” of so called “experts”. In this case two were AC officers and the third was a vet tech.The same shenanigans go on up here in Ontario too. The city of Mississauga was caught red handed using the janitor at the pound as one of the “breed experts” and having slips of paper (with breed written on it) dropped in buckets in front of cages as a vote by pound staff to identify mutts in custody.We happen to have a copy of the form Denver AC uses to decide whether a dog is a “pitbull”. I have attached a copy to this post.The process is laughable but the outcome is far from. The outcome has resulted in the deaths of thousands of good family pets that happen to not fit the description of what Denver considers a family pet dog to look like. (see my second last post) Yes that’s right, in jurisdictions that have breed discriminatory legislation; your pet’s right to live or stay in your home depends on what it looks like, not how it behaves. It is not dependent on how responsible the owner is; it is strictly dependent on how your dog looks. The labeling or categorization may vary drastically from what you as an owner, AC employees or someone off the street thinks it should look like. It is dependent on amateurs with no qualification to judge the breed makeup of a cross bred dog. One step further, there is no person qualified to determine the makeup or lineage of a cross bred dog because it cannot be definitively determined. Professional dog show judges (with reputable kennel clubs) are at least experts in judging purebred dogs and know what to look for.

When you view the document in the attachment, what you are seeing is one form, used for the identification process, copied three times by three different “experts” at Denver AC. There are 27 steps to fill out , not including the dog’s name, color or gender.

The three forms in a row you are viewing have been performed on the same dog! As you can see the only criteria all three “experts” agree on are the coat color, nose color and sex of the dog. They could not even agree on the weight of the dog, in fact one called the dog obese at 60 lbs while another recorded the dog at 65 lbs with no indication the dog was overweight.

So here is how things basically go down.

Your dog is picked up or seized as a “pitbull” by any law enforcement. The dog is taken to the Animal Control facility where three of their “expert” “pitbull” evaluators fill out the form (the one attached). On the back of the form (not shown in the attachment), they write “pitbull” or whatever breed or mix of breed they think it is. If at least two of the “experts” say it is a “pitbull” then the dog has just received its date with Dr. Death. If at least two of the evaluators say it’s not a “pitbull” then you can pick up your dog and the dog is legal to live in Denver.The law essentially reads that if Denver says your dog is a “pitbull” then it is a “pitbull”. Sound familiar?

Why on earth do you think (in Ontario) reverse onus was written into the law? (The onus in on the owner to prove the dog is not a “pitbull” as opposed to the crown proving the dog is a “pitbull”)

The stand alone answer to that is IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO PROVE YOUR DOG IS NOT A “PITBULL” BECAUSE THEY DO NOT EXIST! Robert Charney (counsel for the Attorney General’s office in our case said himself in court “there is no such thing as a “pitbull”!) You cannot prove definitely that a cross bred dog has or does not have particular breeds in its genetic back ground or lineage. There is no proof and too many variables.

That being said, Kevin O’Connell just won his case in Denver (see previous post) proving Dexter was not a “pitbull”. In my opinion, O’Connell’s “experts” trumped AC’s “experts”. It sure sets a nice precedence for what a dog that isn’t a “pitbull” looks like!

Getting back to the attachment***The three “experts” who filled out the forms attached, appeared at a hearing. When each were asked which of the criteria on the form were of the “pitbull” they did not know. One of the “experts” actually shrugged his shoulders. These “experts didn’t know whether a “pitbull” was supposed to have a curved or straight tail or course or soft coat. The form is “just something they fill out” but the “experts” cannot tell you what it all means.The dog that was being identified in all three forms attached was identified as a “pitbull”.**The dog being identified in the attached form is not Dexter. This is an unrelated previous case in Denver.*This clearly demonstrates how the identification process is gravely flawed, sending thousands of innocent dogs to their death!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

In a case against the city of Denver where 3 “breed ID experts” identified a dog (Dexter) as a “pitbull”; Dexter's owner challenged this identification and won!

My face is blue from mentioning this important tidbit of knowledge..

“Pitbull” is a slang term for a shape or look of dog. It IS NOT a breed! No wonder there are problems identifying something that cannot be defined and does not exist. Nobody is truly qualified to ID the breeds of a cross bred dog. Unless a dog is registered with a reputable dog registry, there is no way of proving the lineage of the animal. Fun game at the shelter but when your dog's life hangs on the balance, it isn't so damn fun anymore.. Unless you are a sociopathic dog killer (Kory Nelson and gang in Denver).

A comment was made that thousands of mis-identified family pets have likely lost their lives as a result of Denver Animal Control mis-identifying. Ya THINK? See previous post!

In an excerpt from an article at The Westword News it was not Dexter who actually did anything wrong, AC was called regarding another issue with a different dog.

Kevin O'Connell was away on business when he got a call from a Denver animal-control
officer: His dog, a Presa Canario, had mauled a Chihuahua. O'Connell, a
civil engineer who lives in Thornton,
had left his two dogs with a friend who lives in Denver; he gave the
officer his friend's address. Then his friend called: She said that
animal-control officers had shown up at her house, but instead of
impounding the Presa Canario, they'd taken his other dog, Dexter, who'd
been in her back yard.

“What?” O'Connell replied. “Why?”

“They say he's a pit bull.”

It is high time for the WITCH HUNTERS to give it up. Seek therapy for your irrational fears and get on with your life. If you truly want to do something constructive about protecting public safety from irresponsible dog owners then take a look at the Responsible Dog Ownership bylaw in Calgary, Alberta. No targeting breeds, discrimination or throwing responsible dog owners under the bus in Calgary. Simple, enforceable, common sense bylaws that have been in place for nearly 2 decades and is a proven winner!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

It is due time to “out” the visual and background story behind breed bans. Please let this burn into your mind. Please share this with as many people as you possibly can. The content is difficult, but what those of us who live with breed bans have witnessed and live with every hour of every day is not to be turned away from. The only way we can see our way through this is by speaking openly. We must educate people about the facts. There is an alternative. We must show our governing bodies the way. It is our duty as dog owners and citizens of municipalities, towns, cities, counties, states and provinces. It matters not what breed or cross breed of dog you own. It matters not if you even own a dog. It matters not if you even fancy dogs. This insanity MUST STOP! We owe it to the innocent. A dog owner who was
forced to move out of Denver because of the pit bull ordinance, passed along a portion of her difficult account of life as a dog owner in Denver.

Many of you B.A.N.D. (Breed Awareness, Not Discrimination) members have
been here with me and so many others since Denver reenacted the breed ban in May
of 2005. Various members have done and continue to do rescue, fostering, letter
writing, phone calls, and every other kind of action that goes into helping
those affected or changing these insane laws to something saner, kinder, and
smarter than rounding up family dogs and killing them.

Lately, for several reasons, I've not sent out much information about what
is going on with the court cases or what you can do to help if you're looking
to. A small part of those reasons is that doing some of this is hard and awful
and I just plain don't want to relive it by telling others–I've pretty much
clammed up as a defense mechanism. For me, one of the worst aspects of this is
helping people through the system to get their dogs out. Animal control does not
make this easy and anyway, almost everyone is scared and crying, and that's just
the people.

When these people go to visit their dogs in the Denver shelter, and have to
leave their dogs there–actually walk away–as the dogs are screaming to go with
them, it is almost too much to take. And the dogs have no idea how they got from
their comfy sofas to that concrete hellhole. I know many of you on this list
have experienced this firsthand and some of you have said you've never heard
your dog make that panicky sound before.

The point of this is that so many people do not know what the end
result of breed discriminatory legislation is. I've heard people say, “Oh, you
just can't have them there.”

No! That is not it at all. Not even close.

Breed discriminatory legislation manifests itself in the rounding up and
killing of good, well-loved, well-trained, passive, sweet, family dogs. I've
included photos as proof that that is the end result of a breed ban. Please do your part and help spread the word. I can attest that
these are indeed photos from Denver's breed ban as I took them myself.

Also, there's so much need out there with the dogs, even if you don't want
to send these disgusting photos out or don't want to become an advocate for
people going through the system, there is plenty more you can do with whatever
time and resources you have. We need it all and we need it now! Thank you!

Your tired friend,

Xxxxx

About the photos…

These are pictures of just one load of dogs that Denver has rounded up and
killed as part of their breed ban. “Well,” you might say, “dogs are killed every
day in shelters across the land.” Yes, they are and it is all awful. But these
were dogs who had homes. These were owned dogs that got picked
up and killed for what they look like, not for anything they did. Underneath
this pile of dead dogs, but not shown, were something like twelve puppies that
were not even weaned yet. The photographer wanted to show them, but didn't have
the heart to move the bodies of the adults around to show the puppies. Either
way, this is how a breed ban manifests itself–in the rounding up and killing
family dogs.

__._,_.___

Now, just before you lean back and wipe your brow to think this is a Denver issue or this isn't happening here.. think again. This happens every day right here in Ontario. We have the numbers. Over 5000 dogs have been killed right here in Ontario since August 25, 2005!

Friday, September 25, 2009

I absolutely have to tell you this amusing story.. it is a true story.

This past weekend a friend, my American Staffordshire Terrier (Justice) and I went to the cottage. We arrived late Saturday night very tired. After carrying all our stuff in we sat down in the living room to enjoy the peace and quiet of Muskoka.

I heard a “rustling” noise several times that seemed to come from the vicinity of the kitchen. We both heard the noise, but Justice didn't seem to give it a second thought so that was good enough for me. It isn't odd to hear animals outside on the wrap around deck frolicking in the night.

At about 1:30 I went to bed. I fell asleep quite quickly but was awakened to the sound of my friend yelling “Lori!!! There is a squirrel in here!!!”

You know what it is like when you wake up from a dead sleep. I was rather stunned but yelled back, “I'll let Justice out of my room!”

I opened the door and the next thing I saw was a little squirrel running past the bookshelf with Justice trotting behind it. Neither the squirrel or Justice were moving very fast; at least not by what I would consider hunting speed. The squirrel disappeared somewhere behind the TV.

I turned to ask my friend what transpired. He said he was playing a game on his cell phone when a cheeky squirrel ran out and crossed the living room, darting in and out of furniture. At one point it ran across the room and banged into the sliding glass door. My friend opened the door and screen and tried to chase the little guy out but the squirrel didn't seem able to find his way back to the great outdoors.

We looked for several minutes but there was no sign of the squirrel so I suggested we go back to bed, close the bedroom doors and deal with the squirrel in the morning.

I quickly fell back to sleep but was awakened again by Justice jumping off the bed. I heard a scratch, scratch… on the floor. I woke up much quicker this time! I realized the squirrel is now in my bedroom! I had a lamp by my bedside so I turned it on without getting out of bed. Much to my amazement, here was a little squirrel, the size of a chipmunk, sitting huddled in the corner of my bedroom with Justice staring him down. Justice's nose was about a foot and a half away from the squirrel with his head hung low I could see Justice's nose moving as he sniffed. I managed a weak “get it!”, but Justice made no move toward the squirrel. The squirrel had huge black eyes and seemed rather stunned. Once he saw that this rather huge by comparison dog was not making a move to kill, the squirrel ran past Justice and jumped on the chair in the corner of the room underneath the window.

I now made my move to open the bedroom door and yell at my friend, “the squirrel is in my bedroom!!!!”

My friend now came to the doorway of my room and I grabbed the phone to call my aunt and uncle who have the cottage next door. I am not sure what I expected them to do at (now 4:00am). My aunt said to close the bedroom door and deal with it in the morning.. Meanwhile back in my bedroom I was getting a running commentary from my friend telling me the squirrel was on my bed, on my pillow, on the chair, jumping all around my bedroom. I appeared back in my bedroom doorway to see the squirrel jump onto the blind and try to escape out the window, however the screen was preventing his escape from Alcatraz.

While this commotion was happening, Justice was hanging out in the living room! Yes, my terrier is ~BROKEN~ WHAT THE HELL? AREN'T DOGS NATURALLY SUPPOSED TO CHASE AND KILL SMALL MOVING ANIMALS?

There is a shelf above the window that has books stacked on top so it is quite near the ceiling. The squirrel climbed up the wall and found a temporary safe haven on top of the books above the window.

My friend decided it was a good idea to take the broom and “encourage” the squirrel to find its way to the now open window and embrace freedom. The squirrel was hiding his head in his own fur trying the old trick, if I can't see them… they can't see me? The closer my friend got with the broom, the more nervous the squirrel became. It was now moving back and forth across the books. I was standing behind my friend while he began throwing books at the squirrel.

All of a sudden the squirrel launched himself at my friend! It was a flying squirrel!

My friend squealed like a girl and I ducked out of the way but saw the squirrel fly into the bedroom across the hall. I quickly closed the door with the squirrel contained in the other bedroom. All I could think of was Chevy Chase at that moment. A Griswold weekend at the cottage was shaping up quite nicely.
My friend, now traumatized, grabbed a towel, throw rug, cooler and a box to secure the little 2 oz squirrel. He saw to it there would be NO escape from this room. Once the squirrel was secured, my friend realized his cell phone was with the squirrel.

I finally went back to bed. It was now 4:30am. I woke up the next morning to a cell phone ringing repeatedly. I guess the squirrel wasn't answering?
In the morning my aunt and uncle arrived with pest control paraphernalia in hand. They brought a laundry basket (with lid) and gloves. My aunt announced she was “going in”. She began hunting around the room for the nocturnal squirrel but out of the corner of her eye she spotted the little squirrel laying dead on the floor.

Not sure how the poor little fella died. Maybe he had a heart attack after a 75 pound American Staffordshire Terrier turned him down as a snack and 2 humans squealed and chased him with a broom.

The moral of the story is, don't assume your terrier will protect your ass from wild animals. They surely don't necessarily answer the call of what they were “bred” to do…

The City of Sarnia is arranging for the release of the three mixed-breed dogs that were detained on the basis of having similar characteristics to a “Pit Bull” as outlined by the Dog Owners Liability Act (DOLA). Following the detentions, the dogs Capone, Maddie and Carter were examined by an expert of the owners choice and one of the City's choice.Both examinations found that the dogs were not “Pit Bulls” nor do they have the appearance or physical characteristics of the “Pit Bull” breed.While the dogs were detained, extensions were given to the euthanasia of the dogs to allow for the examinations.The City wanted to get the necessary information to ensure the right decision was made and that is now the case.Following discussions with the owners' lawyer, the dogs will be released to their owners subject to them being spayed and neutered in accordance with the recommendations of the owners' expert.The city is satisfied that the release of the dogs back to their owners is the right decision and will work with the owners to ensure that the recommendations are followed in the release.Lloyd FennellCity Manager

A couple of comments..

First off, do you think maybe part of the problem is that some people (at least AC in Sarnia) are still believing “pitbull” is a breed! “Pitbull” is a short haired mutt. You cannot identify the lineage of a cross bred or mutt dog, period. Cannot be done, nada, no no no.

Why is the city stipulating the dogs be neutered and spayed? The dogs have been declared legal. These owners have done nothing wrong. Why are they being ordered to alter their dogs? Don't assume I am advocating they do not alter their dogs but shouldn't it be a choice?

At least the dogs' have been released back to their owners.

I guess we shouldn't hold our breath for an apology. I do not see any heroics on behalf of the city of Sarnia. May they hang their heads in shame for targeting dog owners (again) within the city of Sarnia. Targeting owners of short haired mutts based on looks not behaviour. If a dog is acting in a dangerous manner, no matter how it looks, the owner should be dealt with. If your dog accidentally gets loose well, as they say (shit happens). If it is chronic there may be a problem. To kill someone's dog while hiding behind the BS the Fib's have brought to this province is despicable.